2023-05-01 17:18:20
heat summer
Air conditioning in Warentest – cool rooms in hot summer remain an expensive luxury
The temptation is great: cool air instead of heat build-up (symbol image)
© Andrey Popov / Getty Images
The summers are getting hotter and hotter – but if you want to cool efficiently, you have to be prepared to spend. The good devices are not exactly cheap, and then there are the installation costs. A new concept was also tested – it was cleverly thought out, but would have to be improved for a recommendation.
Summer is coming and Stiftung Warentest is once again testing air conditioners. This time only split devices are tested. They consist of a part outside the house and a module inside the apartment. Devices from one module – the monoblocs – are not very efficient and are therefore no longer tested.
That’s a pity, because if you want to create coolness quickly with little money and effort, you can hardly avoid a monobloc: The split devices are not only more expensive, they can also only be installed by specialists. You can get a monobloc from the hardware store and simply set it up.
Six new split devices and one “special case” were tested – with a cooling capacity of around 2500 watts, they are sufficient for rooms of 20 to 40 square meters. The costs are between 830 and 2300 euros. Three devices, i.e. exactly half, scored “Good”. The magazine’s rating also includes the three best devices from the 2022 test.
Interesting concept
The “special case” is interesting – this is a new type of monobloc device: the PAC-W 2600 SH from Trotec (1250 euros). All the technology is in a box that is housed in the apartment. Only two ventilation ducts lead to the outside. Installing something like this requires chiselling large holes in the wall, but you don’t need a refrigeration technician because the cooling system isn’t being worked on. So the installation is much easier, a better handyman can do it himself. The disadvantage of the design, however, is that the compressor is now in the living area and its working noise can be quite annoying. The Trotec device is very loud at 60 dB. It would hardly be possible to work next to the running system. Conclusion: A good idea, but the implementation can be improved.
Difficult task in the test
The test task was athletic, the devices should cool down a room from 35 degrees Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius. The task at Warentest is demanding because it assumes that a very hot room has to be cooled down in a relatively short time. The power, which is given in watts and not in BTU in this test, must be correspondingly large. If the system is left running all the time, even a lower output is sufficient to maintain the level. It is not possible to say in general terms how much energy the air conditioning system really needs. A room under a poorly insulated roof heats up much more than a shaded room on the ground floor. Electricity consumers such as computers or stoves also conduct additional heat into the room, which an air conditioner has to counteract.
expensive pleasure
The test winners both come from Daikin. Both “FTXJ25AW + RXJ25A” and “FTXM25R + RXM25R” performed well and scored 2.0. It is not clear why “FTXJ25AW + RXJ25A” is significantly more expensive at 2300 euros than “FTXM25R + RXM25R” (1480 euros). So you should choose the cheaper device. The installation costs are added to the price of the system. If you consider that such a device only cools one room, you can imagine the costs for an entire apartment or house. If only the living room and bedroom are cooled, the costs double.
Mobile devices are not being tested, but are interesting for improvised solutions. There are also split devices that let a part hang out of the window. Their cooling effect is limited, but sufficient for smaller rooms – and they can be set up by anyone.
The power consumption plays a major role in the assessment of Warentest. Rightly so, as long as the electricity is drawn from the grid. If it comes from your own solar system, the calculation looks a little different.
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